When was overeaters anonymous started

OA members experience many different patterns of food behaviours. Among them are:. Our symptoms may vary, but we share a common bond: we are powerless over food and our lives are unmanageable. This common problem has led those in OA to seek and find a common solution in the Twelve Steps , the Twelve Traditions and nine tools[needs to link to the tools] of Overeaters Anonymous.

How do OA members lose weight and maintain a healthy weight? Abstinence in Overeaters Anonymous is the action of refraining from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviours while working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight. While a diet can help us lose weight, it often intensifies the compulsion to overeat. The solution offered by OA does not include diet tips. OA members interested in learning about nutrition or who require professional advice are encouraged to consult qualified professionals.

We may freely use such help, with the assurance that OA supports each of us in our efforts to recover. We in OA believe we have a threefold illness—physical, emotional and spiritual.

The Twelve Steps embody a set of principles which, when followed, promote inner change. Sponsors help us understand and apply these principles. As old attitudes are discarded, we often find there is no longer a need for excess food. Those of us who choose to recover one day at a time practice the Twelve Steps. In so doing, we achieve a new way of life and lasting freedom from our food obsession.

Anonymity allows the Fellowship to govern itself through principles rather than personalities. Social and economic status have no relevance in OA; we are all compulsive eaters. Tradition 8 Overeaters Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers [ 15 ]. Tradition 9 OA as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve [ 15 ].

Tradition 10 Overeaters Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the OA name ought never be drawn into public controversy [ 15 ]. Tradition 11 Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, television, and other public media of communication [ 15 ].

Tradition 12 Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all these traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities [ 15 ].

Demystifying Overeaters Anonymous 2. Is Overeaters Anonymous a Religious Program? Research on Twelve-Step Interventions Binge eating disorder—in the same way as substance-related and addictive disorders—has been described as a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by preoccupation and craving, impaired control of consumption, and social impairment, among other similar features [ 2 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 ].

Research on Overeaters Anonymous Research on the effectiveness of OA is limited to lower levels of evidence that include gray literature a dissertation [ 27 ] , case reports [ 24 , 63 ], case series [ 23 ], and some qualitative studies [ 41 , 73 , 74 ]. Clinical Criticisms Against Overeaters Anonymous 4. Self-Selection and Internal Biases: The Importance of Proper Classification and Use Evidence reviewed herein suggest that OA may be an underutilized tool in the treatment and recovery of some forms of binge eating.

Concerns Related to Nutritional Guidance Many conventional eating disorder treatment professionals tend to dissuade patients from use of OA because of concerns related to nutritional guidance. Critical Clinical Conclusions It is important to acknowledge that all twelve-step programs have limitations and have been subject to similar criticism.

Conclusions Overeaters Anonymous provides a promising complement for treating binge eating disorder. Click here for additional data file. Author Contributions Conceptualization, B.

Institutional Review Board Statement Not applicable. Informed Consent Statement Not applicable. Data Availability Statement The data presented in this study are openly available in Zenodo zenodo.

Conflicts of Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. References and Note 1. Hilbert A. Evidence-based clinical guidelines for eating disorders: International comparison. Kober H. Wilson G.

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Predictors of weight loss at the end of treatment and 1-year follow-up for a behavioral weight loss program. Kayman S. Maintenance and relapse after weight loss in women: Behavioral aspects. Perri M. South Africa. United Kingdom. Welcome to Overeaters Anonymous OA —a community of people who through shared experience, strength, and hope are recovering from unhealthy relationships with food and body image. Is OA right for you? Embrace your courage and learn more. OA's twelve-step program works like Alcoholics Anonymous except it helps us deal with food.

Learn how others like you work the program through to recovery. Find out more. Any form of service—no matter how small—that helps reach a fellow sufferer adds to the quality of our recovery. Your subscription could not be saved.